Aluminum Windings and Their Manufacturing Technologies in Electrical Machines: A Review

Aluminum is characterized by a lower density and cost than copper, making it a promising candidate for replacing copper in the construction of motor windings. However, the high electrical resistivity of aluminum presents a major drawback that partially counteracts the above merits and hinders its popularity. To date, a comprehensive summary on the application of aluminum windings in electrical machines is still lacking for further investigation. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a review of aluminum windings and their advanced manufacturing technologies. Motor designs with windings made of copper and aluminum are comparatively summarized. Moreover, opportunities and challenges associated with aluminum windings and their manufacturing techniques are discussed, which could offer a useful reference for future studies.